Did
you learn that they speak German in Switzerland? That's a common
misconception! In Switzerland they speak Swiss German, and that's
something completely different. Swiss German has its own pronunciation,
many different words, its own grammar, and most Germans have difficulty
understanding this funny language. The German-speaking Swiss write
standard German, that's true - there is no Swiss German official
language (but still some literature, e-mails etc. using the dialect).
The Swiss can also speak standard German very well, but to them it's a
foreign language that they have to learn how to use when they start
school.

Would you like to win a Swiss
person's heart? Then learn these two beautiful words. They are almost
like national treasures, because they are so typical of Swiss German.
Note: Ch is pronounced like in the German word ach
(whereas sch is like the normal sh-sound,
like in "sheep"). You may have to practise a lot to make it, but don't
practise so much that you get a sore throat!

1) CHUCHICHÄSCHTLI

2) CHÄS-CHÜECHLI

What do they mean? Number 1 is
"kitchen cupboard", number 2 is "cheese pie(s) (or, more directly
translated, "cheese cake(s)")!

As we know, the abbreviation of
Switzerland is CH. Some times I've wondered if this has some kind of
connection to the Swiss German sounds... ( ;-) ! I do know the real meaning of the abbreviation, thank
you...)

Here are some of the most
common words that might be good to know. I have also written some other
words, either because they have different meanings in standard German
and Swiss German, or just because I like them...

Note: This is
Züridüütsch - Zürich German, which is the Swiss
dialect that I know the best. Other dialects may some times sound very
different!

Remember, here as well, that all
ch's should be pronounced like in German ach.
All the vowels I have written should be pronounced. If you see ue,
üe or ie, for instance, the e should also
be pronounced. The standard German version that you see here is to be
pronounced the normal German way.

(By
the way, it's not always easy to "translate" Swiss German words and
expressions into standard German - if any of you have some other
suggestions, I'm very thankful...)

...is an expression used for
the border between the German-speaking and the French-speaking
Switzerland. In English it would be "the Rösti ditch", and it has
probably got something with the different (food) cultures to do...

Merci vilmal

...is a nice language mixture.
An explanation that I have got, which probably isn't completely true,
but funny anyway, is that the German-speaking Swiss wanted to say
"merci" instead of "danke", to prove that they weren't German. The
problem was only that then they sounded like they were trying to speak
French without being very successful (the Swiss German pronunciation of
"merci" is rather special). The solution was to add the typical Swiss
German ending "vilmal". Then there would be no doubt of where they were
coming from. ....and this is how the expression "merci
vilmal" - thanks a lot - may have been created...